4e: Rise of the Dark Lords

[Mando Knight]

Alsumer, an independent trading port renowned for its tropical weather, is home to nearly all sorts of beings, and is a natural place for mercenaries and adventurers to gather. Good weather year-round makes it a nice place to spend winters, and its location and neutrality makes it a prime trading post between the empires of the world...

Stepping off of the ship you took to get here, you notice that the growing city-state lives up to its reputation. The city square isn't far from the docks, but before you can walk into a tavern to book a room (or look for trouble), a loud siren pierces the air. The citizens stop what they're doing to board up shop, and veteran adventurers immediately reach for their blades and wands. A phalanx of guards march into the square, and their commander shouts out. "This is an emergency, we are under attack. I repeat, we are under attack. This is not a drill. All militia are to report to their barracks. All armed travelers and foreigners are to report to the city hall."

...And there's marauding nomadic tribes from around the mountains to the north that sometimes get the idea that they should come down and take the city for themselves.

[Amnestic]

Heyen's instincts kick into gear as she immediately starts running for the town walls, her red hair bobbing up and down with her movements. After a short moment she slows to a stop, sighs to herself, and turns to head for the city hall. "Well now I just feel silly." She thinks to herself as she rounds a corner which she passed before, accidentally bumping into a man carrying a box of chickens. There was no opportunity to get an apology out before the man runs off, his feathered friends squawks signifying his retreat.

In short order, she arrives at the front of the town hall, her hands already twitching for the fight she knows is coming.

I assumed we would be picking a colour for speech text, and stole Dark Red. Put thoughts in italics out of habit.

[tarsusc81]

Rayth Marwood falls into step with the crowds as they retreat to safety. With only a wand tucked within the folds of his coat, he won't draw any questions.

He watches a few travelers, here and there, pull away from the throng to head in the direction of the city hall; they'll likely end up in battle soon. Anxiety and even a little fear are evident on more than one face.

After a few more steps, Rayth halts and curses under his breath. "Just what I needed," he mutters, as he makes an about face to follow them. "I was trying to keep a low profile."

Wondering exactly how large a threat the city faces, he scans the faces of the city guards as he passes, looking for signs of concern or panic.


Insight check:
[roll0]

[Lemonus]

Carric sighs, and goes to the city hall. "Just what I needed. I need to track those killers NOW, not wait until some attack is repulsed." He mutters under his breath.

If you are wondering what killers he is tracking, check my backstory.

[Bridgar]

"Ah, a fight. Good, although I would've liked to get a feel of the town first. I might as well get to the town hall, before all the good jobs are taken." Bealan stalks off the docks and into the heart of the town, searching for the town hall.

[Mando Knight]

The town hall is fairly easy to find, as several other adventurers (who have apparently done this before) head towards a building that, for a moment, is surrounded by a flashing wall of light. As you come closer, even the magically inept of you can easily see that it's a defensive barrier summoned by several cloaked mages.

The barrier marks off a courtyard, in the center of which stands a regal-looking man in full armor, facing a small crowd of ragtag adventurer- and mercenary-types. Shortly after being ushered in by the guards standing just outside the barrier, the knight begins his speech.

"I see quite a few able bodies here. Good! As you are aware, the city is now under siege. Normally, our existing retainer would be enough reinforcements to rout any invasions from the neighboring tribes. However, our patrols indicate that this attack is on a much larger scale than normal. Therefore, the city is offering employment to all armed individuals such as yourselves: aid us in the defense, and you will be compensated appropriately. Questions?"

[tarsusc81]

Rayth remains silent, arms folded in front of him as he stands at the edge of the group.

So this "draft" is opt-in, is it? he thinks. The guards hadn't made it sound that way, or else he might not have come. No need to concern himself with the others if they're taking the risk willingly. Still, he's here now. Might as well earn a little; his pockets have been light lately.

Mando: It was of little consequence, but I made an Insight check in my last post. :smallamused:

[Lemonus]

"I'll join!" shouts Carric over the crowd. "Sooner this is over, the better." he adds under his breath.

[Amnestic]

"Quicker we're done here the better." Heyen mumbles, eager to get started. Every minute they spend standing here is another minute not spent at the walls where she could help. "Just point us in the right direction, I'm sure we can figure out the rest!" She pipes up.

[Bridgar]

"I have a question, yeah" Bealan pipes up "What exactly are we being assigned to do?"

[Mando Knight]

Mando: It was of little consequence, but I made an Insight check in my last post. :smallamused:
Your insight revealed nothing special. You notice that they're all behaving like the soldiers they are.

The commander smiles almost imperceptibly as he nods. Easy questions. Just the kind he was hoping for. Get the audience to participate a little. "You'll be on the walls with the militia patrols. If you want a little more pay, you can join the skirmishers in the counter-attack."

If there aren't any more questions...

Your group is assembled fairly quickly. An elf with a pair of oversized swords, a human male outfitted in light armor, a dwarf in chainmail but (somehow) without an axe or hammer, and a short human female with sword and shield.

The commander paces by the assembled mercenary groups, stopping before yours. "Hm. One short. I see I will have to speak with the sergeant about his counting skills after this." (several of the other teams have five or six) "I will have to correct that imbalance."

He turns, and putting his hand to his chin for a moment to think, he soon points at one of the men from the other groups. "You there. Come over here."
Which one does he point to? You decide...
A lightly armored eladrin, with a longsword at hand.
A grizzled human in scale armor, bearing a spear and a wolf-and-stars emblem on his surcoat.
A half-elf in full plate, proudly wearing Pelor's Sun on his chest.
An orange-scaled dragonborn with a fairly large axe and a lightning bolt design on her shield.

[tarsusc81]

Is it a vote? I say let's go for the Dragonborn.

[Lemonus]

If that's a vote, then I vote for the half-elf. (Looks like a paladin, and we probably could use some healing).

[Amnestic]

I do like the sound of "full plate". I think that might be best. Half-Elf of Pelor for me.

[Bridgar]

I would love the cleric of Pelor in full plate. :smallbiggrin:

[Mando Knight]

The half-elf looks at the commander, and mentally draws a line from the pointing finger to himself. He nods and obeys. "Sir?"

"You're not affiliated with any of the other groups, correct?"
"No, sir."
"Then I want you in this one. They could use a bit of armor. Any problems with that?"
"No, sir."
"Good!"

The commander makes one last sweep, then nods and addresses the assembly. "Those of you who formed teams on the spot, I recommend you get to know each other immediately. If there are no more questions, you are dismissed."

At that, the half-elf introduces himself. "I am Wil Elessar, knight-errant of Pelor."

Between his golden hair, neatly trimmed facial hair, emerald-green eyes, and athletic (yet slender) body, Wil seems to be the very definition of a knightly "pretty boy."

[Bridgar]

"Another devout man, eh? We will have to test the will of our gods on the battlefield. Hope ye' can keep up." Bealan gives a hearty chuckle at his challenge.

[Amnestic]

"Heyen Nephet, professional woman-at-arms." She says, shaking Wil's hand and nodding in turn to each of the others in the group. "To be honest I didn't expect to get into a fight this quickly - not outside a tavern anyway. Still, we have to make do I suppose." Heyen bounces from foot to foot softly as a way to keep her feet busy. They'd be fighting soon, very soon; her only hope was that this rather varied group she had been assembled with was up to the task in front of them. "Should we finish introductions as we walk? I'm not really sure how much time we have."

[Lemonus]

"Hello." Carric says gruffly. "M' name's Carric. Let's get this over with."

[Bridgar]

"While we walk where? We don't know where we're going. Forgot to mention, my name's Baelan, conduit of Kord."

[Amnestic]

"Well, to the walls I assume." She says as she gestures in their general direction. "The commanding fellow in the rather luxurious armour did say we were dismissed."

[Lemonus]

"Well, let's go then!"

[tarsusc81]

"The name's Rayth." Rayth straightens his jacket anxiously, volunteering nothing more. "Let's get on with it, then."

[Bridgar]

"Y'see... I only have one problem with that. We could go in any direction but the sea and hit a wall. We should be assigned to a specific part of the wall. I'm as eager as any to get into combat, probably more, but we need to be organized about it."

[Lemonus]

"Well, do you see anybody who could tell us where to go?"

[Amnestic]

"I..." She hesitates."You are absolutely correct." With this, Heyen lightly jogs over to where the Commander is stood. "Excuse me, hello, sorry for interrupting. We're all ready to move out to the walls. We just need to know which wall to go to, exactly."

[Mando Knight]

"Ah, yes, of course." He walks over to a table that's been set up outside for the briefing and motions you to come over. There's a map of the city laid out. "Most mercenary groups like to simply go out and do things on their own. We expect the main offense to strike here, near the main gate. It would be preferred if you could accompany the guard patrols in that area. Talk to one of the guard captains when you get there and he'll set you up with a patrol area."

[Bridgar]

"Now, we hurry" Bealan is in a great rush to fight, now that all has been cleared up.

[Amnestic]

"Excellent, thank you." She jogs back to the group. "We're at the main gate. We should head their quickly." She motioned for them to follow her and headed down the street towards the main gate where she knew the battle was fast coming.

[Lemonus]

Carric runs toward the gate, clutching his tree amulet. "Maybe these will be the ones" he thinks.

[Bridgar]

"For Koooooooooooooooooooooooooooooord!" Baelan charges in back of the group

[tarsusc81]

Rayth follows, trailing a few feet behind the group. "Awfully eager for a fight, for a group of emergency conscripts," he mutters mostly to himself.

[Amnestic]

Heyen reaches the main gate alongside the screaming dwarf and the rest of the - thankfully - quieter group. She stops and takes in the scene in front of her.

What are we looking at?

[Lemonus]

Carric comes up behind Heyen and starts looking for someone who can tell them where to go.

Should I make a perception check here?

[Mando Knight]

The gate is... rather gate-like. A typical wall-and-gatehouse setup, with massive steel doors closed and barred in the middle of it all. You hear a lot of shouting, but it all seems fairly controlled so far.

As you approach, a fairly well-armored man atop the wall notices you and shouts down. "You're the reinforcements? Get up here, we need to keep them off-balance. The nearest stairs are in the gatehouse."

Don't fret if I seem to disappear for a few days... although I'm on a lot, I'm not exactly able to always update whenever something happens. Also, Tuesdays are BattleTech nights and Wednesdays are busy in general.

[Lemonus]

Carric nods at the man and heads for the gatehouse, pulling out his swords as he walks.

[tarsusc81]

"Hopefully at least as off-balance as we are," Rayth says to anyone in earshot. He follows at the rear of the group, producing his wand and holding it at the ready.

[Bridgar]

Bealan whips out his wand and tromps up the stairs in the gatehouse, eager to fight.

[Amnestic]

Heyen reaches the top of the stairs in the gatehouse and arrives up onto the wall, overlooking the town behind and the open area in front; same scene, different town. She feels almost used to it by now, a concept which unnerves her slightly. Still, these thoughts were distracting and woudln't help her in the coming fight, so she files them away for later.

"Any of you fellows done one of these before?" She asks the group she's fallen in with.

[Lemonus]

"I've been in a big battle" Carric replies to Heyen. Didn't turn out too well though.

[Mando Knight]

"A siege? No, actually, I..."

And Wil's sentence is cut off by the armored man you noticed earlier, who just noticed your arrival at the top of the stairs. "Excellent! I'm Captain Simon Nie. The goblins haven't gotten far, yet, and mostly we've just been picking off their forward troops."

As you look outward, you see a wave of green just a few dozen meters away from the bottom of the wall, with another wave of orange behind it. It doesn't take long to realize that it's probably one of the largest goblin armies you've ever seen. Oddly, though, rather than having the entire army press forward to scale the walls, only one (still fairly large) group of troops move forward, guarding a leather-covered wagon.

[tarsusc81]

Rayth stares for a long, silent moment. He inhales deeply and then breathes a heavy sigh. "Well, we're in it now," he says. "Hope you all are really worth something in a fight." After a pause, he adds as an afterthought, "No offense."

Rayth makes a sharp, swift gesture with his wand. Above his other hand, wisps of surging blue energy appear, twisting strands that quickly wrap together, morphing and solidifying into a definite shape. In moments, they've formed the likeness of a slender rapier now gripped firmly in his hand. A soft blue glow persists on the sword for a few seconds more before fading, the rapier now indistinguishable from any other blade.

He rests the sword on his shoulder as he peers over the wall at the oncoming troops, scanning for details - any sign of the wagon's contents or clue of the goblins' intent.


Perception check:
[roll0]
(Sheesh. Maybe someone else should look!)

Incidentally, manifesting the Blade of Winter's Mourning was a Minor action, not that it matters much yet.

[Amnestic]

"That wagon...thing..." Heyen mumbles to herself, her mind running away with itself.

"It has to be something to aid the siege in some way, otherwise they wouldn't be guarding it so much. Odd that they left it with a smaller force while the rest of the army holds back. Must be an explanation. Monster? Possible. Not sure how why they'd keep the army back if they can control it enough to force it to break open the gate. Conventional battering device? Probably too small and again, no reason for them not to assist in full force. Explosive compound of some sort? Also possible. Might explain why the majority are staying back; limits casualties if it goes off prematurely. Still, unreasonable to bank their whole attack plan on one covered wagon. And that's even assuming they are doing that. Excessive supposition on my part, we can't really know for sure. Foolhardy to send a force out to meet it without knowing what it is, could be a trap to lure us out to begin with and get the gates open. A...oh what was it called? Wooden horse with the people inside? Oh, nevermind. If it is explosives, it could blow up in our face and take out more of our soldiers than theirs. This could all be a huge diversion though to focus our long range fire on the wagon for no reason whatsoever."

It all happens in a split second. Her thoughts blazed by like lightning strikes across her brain, there and gone in an instant.

She stops, taking a deep calming breath before looking out. "I'm not sure what's on that wagon, but I believe it would be tactically sound to see if we could destroy it before it reaches the gates if at all possible. Could be nothing and we should prepare for that, but we can't leave it as is."

Perception Check on the Wagon:
[roll0]

*phew* Lot of thinking. Thought it the best way to illustrate Heyen's thought patterns :smalltongue:

[Mando Knight]

"Good idea. They might retreat if their tactical advantage is burned to the ground. Archers! Light that wagon up!"

At that, a dozen or so archers switch their focus from delivering volley fire into the goblin ranks to sending flaming arrows into the wagon's side. Finally, when the wagon's only about 20 meters from the gate, a large black mass is launched from it at incredible speed, and the wagon collapses, still burning. Almost immediately, a loud thump is heard, and rather than retreating, the goblins charge.

[tarsusc81]

Rayth has a sinking feeling. "The gate," he says. He throws a look toward Bealan and Carric, who are nearest him. "They might have breached the gate!"

He lunges back through the door and sprints down the staircase. From inside the doorway at the bottom, he carefully peers out without leaving cover, glimpsing the gate.


I presume no Perception check's needed to see the status of the gate, but if there are details to be missed:
[roll0]

Also, this post was based on a few presumptions: First of all, I pictured "a large black mass is launched" as meaning launched forward. And secondly, I'm presuming we can't really see the gate below us from our position on the wall.

If either of those presumptions is incorrect, I will retract.

[Bridgar]

Baelan peers out over the crenellations, standing barely taller than them. "What's this? Gobbo's, eh? All the same to me."
Baelan gets a large smirk on his face as he prepares to blast a few goblins.

At the sound of the large crash and the sight of the flying black mass, Baelan tries to make out what it was.


Initial Perception: [roll0]

Black mass inspection:
If passive perception: 14.
If active perception: [roll1]

[Lemonus]

Carric runs down to the gate behind Rayth, looking to see if anything has come through.

Don't think I need to make a perception check to see if the gate is breached, but here it is: [roll0] Also, my weapons are drawn, if that matters.

[Mando Knight]

Due to the construction of the gatehouse, whatever hit it would have impacted the portcullis, which is not visible from within the city when the doors are closed. However, a loud screech, like that of weakened metal being torn, soon pierces your ears. Whatever it was, it's pulling apart the portcullis. Frenzied shouts come from the archers within the gatehouse, but none of them identify the creature.

[Bridgar]

"Bah, I was hoping to avoid fighting up close." Bealan says as he runs to the stairs.

[Lemonus]

Carric stands 20 feet (or four squares) away from the gate, and shouts "Get back!"

[tarsusc81]

Is there any vantage point from which we can see what's on the other side of the gate?

[Mando Knight]

Tarsusc: common gatehouse design dictates that there are several murder holes and arrow slits from which you can view the inner section of the gate. However, most of those are full of defenders right now, so you might be stuck defending from that spot if you want to use that viewpoint.

Those still up on the wall:
Captain Nie curses under his breath when he hears the screeching sound. He shouts to a militia-elf nearby, "Go get the general. Tell him the main gate's been compromised. Quickly!"

The elf runs off towards the city hall. Wil turns to Heyen and says "Ms. Nephet? We should probably get down to the ground level. I think we'd be a little more use there than on the battlements."

Those on the ground:
The massive doors in front of you are being pounded on, and some kind of vile ooze is seeping through...

Also, several groups of guards are forming a defensive arc around the gate, waiting for whatever is about to break through.

[Amnestic]

"I concur." She'd made the right call. Best to hit that thing while there was still time, even if it was only a little. She can't see it, but from the sound of grating metal was the portcullis tore apart, Heyen could surmise that it was big and bloody strong. She takes off down the stairs in the gatehouse along with Wil and reaches the bottom before long. She immediately takes note of the ooze that appears to be...well, oozing, through the gate, and she immediately starts trying to figure out what it could be.


Knowledge Checks for ze monster!
Arcana: [roll0]
Dungeoneering: [roll1]
Nature: [roll2]
Religion: [roll3]

Seems like since I don't know anything other than "big, strong and ooze", it could fall under a number of categories, so I rolled for each one.

[Bridgar]

Bealan moves up behind the line of defenders. "Kord's thunder!!! What's that???"


Move behind the farthest right position on the line with 1 square between the line and Bealan.

PS: checks to find what it is
Arcana:1d20+6
Dungeoneering:1d20+6
History:1d20+6
Nature:1d20+4
Religion:1d20+6

[Bridgar]

Sorry for the double post. :smallredface:
Arcana:[roll0]
Dungeoneering:[roll1]
History:[roll2]
Nature:[roll3]
Religion:[roll4]

[Mando Knight]

Both Heyen and Bealan are able to identify the sizzling ooze as some kind of acid by the way it seems to react with the door. Neither are quite able to identify a likely source, especially considering that it was obviously connected with the black thing from before. Both are able to figure out that the ooze isn't alive, though, which is fortunate.

Bealan gets a notion of what it might be, but the clues are a bit... off.
If it were a swamp cave rather than a city siege, he'd peg it for a Black Dragon. As is? Honestly, draconic lore is a bit filled with hearsay unless you're a specialist. He can't recall if its breath weapon was poison, acid, or fire.

[Mando Knight]

Rayth's currently in the cover of the doorway that leads to the gatehouse stair. Before determining where to (possibly) move, I'd like to know:
1. Whether he has a clear line of effect to the doors from where he's at.
2. Whether his position is in front of or behind the defensive line that's forming.

1) By design, he has no line of effect to the main gate. It makes the gatehouse somewhat less vulnerable that way.
2) In the middle of. Ish.

[tarsusc81]

Rayth's eyes widen a bit, but his manner is calm as he strides from the gatehouse and positions himself in the defensive line.


I can't seem to form a mental picture of the position of the gatehouse door, so best just to join the defenders.

Rayth is positioning himself as close to the front lines as possible. In front of the guards if there's room.

[Mando Knight]

Here's a rough picture of what I mean:
http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq128/Mando_Knight/Gate1.png

The brown object is the door to the interior of the gatehouse. One of the main doors is the big one on the right. The black lines are exterior wall boundaries.

[Lemonus]

Carric positions himself a behind the defensive arch, ready to fight. Or run, as the case may be.

[Amnestic]

Heyen on the front line of the defenders. "Do we have any spare archers? I'm loathe to get close to whatever's on the other side of that gate." She asks to no one in particular, more voicing her thoughts than anything else. It'd be breaking through shortly, and whatever it was, it sounded big and really rather nasty; bigger and likely nastier than anything she had faced before. Still, she held her sword and shield ready, they would be her closest friends in the coming fight and she held them with the steady grip of an experienced warrior.

[Mando Knight]

A few spare, tense seconds pass while you join the gathering defensive line. The arrhythmic pounding on the massive gates then comes to a climax: a dragon, as large as a horse and with scales black as coal, finally rends the doors from their acid-weakened hinges. Immediately after it finishes, it roars in triumph as the goblin horde rushes through the gatehouse over what's already a fairly good-sized pile of corpses of their comrades.

Here's how initiative is going to work:
Heroes
Allies
Villains

I'll assume you delay freely between each other if necessary for reordering character movements. This will probably be a rather Hard encounter (the dragon has a couple of levels and Solo status over you), but you've got some backup... and I'll work around character deaths as is dramatically appropriate.

http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq128/Mando_Knight/Gate2.png

Hopefully, it should be fairly clear who's who. Cloaked guy in the beard is our dwarf, the red-and-yellow guy in the left-center is Wil, the guy to his right is Rayth, to their right is Heyen, and the elf in the corner is Carric. If you want a different picture for your character token, I'll gladly change it, I just used what was handy. The big gray-and-striped things that the dragon is standing on are the doors. Behind it are goblins. Lots of goblins. The gateway is also cluttered with goblin corpses. If you manage to push the goblins back, that entire area is both Difficult Terrain and Disgusting.

[Bridgar]

Baelan HP: 28/28 AC:17 Fort:13 Ref:12 Will:15

Baelan, ready for the battle points his wand at the foul black beast. Baelan's voice booms and resonates with power, different from his ordinary voice "May Kord purge your soul with fire!!!"


Purging Flame (Daily) at Black Dragon:
Attack vs Reflex:[roll0]
Damage:[roll1] fire + 10 ongoing fire (save ends)
If miss, half damage and 5 ongoing (save ends)


OOC: Do you want us to describe our actions or will you? I don't want to god-mod things, but it would ease your workload if we describe our abilities so that you don't have to look them up. :smallsmile:

[Mando Knight]

OOC: Do you want us to describe our actions or will you? I don't want to god-mod things, but it would ease your workload if we describe our abilities so that you don't have to look them up. :smallsmile:
If you want to see combat written up roughly how it's worked best for me so far in PbP, take a gander at this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=176365), another ongoing game in which I'm the most badass Eladrin ever. We're beating up a Beholder right now (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=176365&page=19), if you want to skip straight to the fighting. There's also a bit of strategic chat in the OOC thread, but that's not the important bit.

Also, please post your defenses and HP. The former helps me check hit/miss, and the latter helps your dear Leader.

[Amnestic]

"A bloody Black Dragon." Heyen mumbles. Now how the hell did the goblins manage to get one of those? She shakes her head. "Keep your mind in the fight." With a steely glance she begins to pick out the weaknesses in the dragon - areas less scaly, or just flaws in its movements. She'd likely only get one shot at it. With a deep breath, she dives forward towards it, bringing her sword up and hoping that luck was on her side.


Minor: Hunter's Quarry (Encounter) - Designate the Dragon, obviously.
Move: Up to the dragon.
Standard: Warlord's Favour (Encounter) - 2[W]+4, hit grants one ally +3 to attack rolls until the end of my next turn. Designating Rayth. Using my one use of Hunter's Quarry this round too.

Attack: [roll0] vs. AC
Damage: [roll1]
Hunter's Quarry Damage: [roll2]

HP: 24 (Surges Left: 8)
AC: 18.
Fort: 16
Refl: 16
Will: 13

Edit: Wow, that was a terrible attack roll >_<

[tarsusc81]

Rayth Marwood - 24/24 HP, 7 surges remaining, AC 16, FORT 13, REF 14, WILL 16

Rayth's features are set in concentration, his movements calm and decisive now that battle is actually joined. He aims his wand at the huge beast and lets loose a shimmering bolt of energy before dashing immediately forward and thrusting with his rapier, the sword glowing with power. As he attacks, his magic cloaks him from the dragon's sight.


Standard: Eldritch Bolt (At-Will)
Attack: [roll0] vs Reflex (+3 if Heyen's attack hit)
Damage: [roll1] force

Move: To K12

Action Point
Standard: Piercing Shard (Encounter)
Attack: [roll2] vs Will (+3 if Heyen's attack hit)
Damage: [roll3] cold and psychic
Effect: Rayth is invisible to the dragon until the start of his next turn.

If by any chance Rayth's Piercing Shard missed, he uses Heroic Effort (Encounter) as a triggered action to add +4 to the attack roll.

[Lemonus]

Carric Thunderleaf HP 31 Surges Left 8 AC 14 FORT 14 REF 13 WILL 12

Carric moves seven squares straight at the dragon, and attacks with Sudden Strike.


Attack roll for attack one. [roll0]
Damage roll for attack one [roll1]

If attack one hits, I shift towards the goblins one square and attack with attack two
Attack roll for attack two [roll2]
Damage roll for attack two [roll3]

[Mando Knight]

Wil follows the others in the not-quite-charge, and as the other guards come to help he lands a radiant blow against the dragon. "I'll try to distract him. Keep attacking!"

The dragon, surprised by the sudden charge of humanoids against it, spits out an acidic black cloud, then thrashes at the guards (missing, mostly... its bite at Wil was terrifyingly close, though) as it makes a short hop, starting to fly barely five feet off the ground, as goblins charge behind it.
http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq128/Mando_Knight/Gate3.png


The dragon took a total of... [roll0] damage... and I forgot its saving throw. [roll1]

Carric and one of the guards took 4 damage each. Wil takes 10 damage from the missed bite.

Everyone was caught in the dragon's Shroud of Gloom, however, and gains Vulnerable 5 Acid and a -2 to attack rolls until the end of the encounter. To negate this effect, you'll need to spend a Standard Action to make a DC 10 Heal check. No, you can't take 10 on the check, but it's fairly easy to make. You can do this untrained, and can choose to heal an adjacent ally if you wish.

Also, since it took a lot of damage this turn, it's going to start using a power that I didn't make use of last round. Every time you miss a melee attack, it gets to make an opportunity attack against you that knocks you prone and deals (a relatively small amount of) damage to you and your adjacent allies. It takes a -2 on the attack (and you get +1 to all defenses against it) thanks to Wil's mark, but it's still as accurate as any of the goblins' attacks.

[Bridgar]

Baelan Strongheart HP: 28/28 Surges:10/10
AC:17 Fort:13 Ref:12 Will:15
+1 to all defenses vs. dragon

Baelan jogs over to a better vantage point, raises his staff high above his short head, and smashes it against the ground. As the staff contacts the ground, thunder crashes out of the sky into three goblins who fly backwards, in a daze. "Kord smite thee!!!" Baelan bellows out into the battle. Returning to his normal voice, Baelan yells to his companions "Fill the gap!"

Move action to N8

Standard action:
Thunder of Judgement (Encounter)
Attack vs H12's Fort:[roll0] (with the -2)
Attack vs H13's Fort:[roll1] (with the -2)
Attack vs H14's Fort:[roll2] (with the -2)

Damage for H12: [roll3] thunder damage (with covenant of wrath)
Damage for H13: [roll4] thunder damage (with covenant of wrath)
Damage for H14: [roll5] thunder damage (with covenant of wrath)

Also, pushes H12, H13, and H14 to H15, H16, and H17 respectively
All three are dazed until end of my next turn.

[Lemonus]

Carric Thunderleaf HP 27 Surges Left 8 AC 14 FORT 14 REF 13 WILL 12 +1 to defenses against the dragon.

Carric stabs the dragon with Twin Strike, then spends an action point to use it again.


Attack one: [roll0]
Damage one: [roll1]

Attack two: [roll2]
Damage two: [roll3]

Attack three: [roll4]
Damage three: [roll5]

Attack four: [roll6]
Damage four: [roll7]

EDIT:Also, please add in what I get for flanking. I forgot to add it in, and now it's too late. And please take away 2 from the attack rolls. Sorry about forgetting. Actually, make that take away three, because I added in an extra one for the attack rolls.I am so sorry abot this.

[tarsusc81]

Rayth Marwood - 24/24 HP, 7 surges remaining, AC 16, FORT 13, REF 14, WILL 16

Too far from the gap in the goblin line to reach it, and reeling from the dragon's breath, Rayth briefly retreats several paces behind the guards keeping the dragon at bay. He takes a few moments to steady himself and attempts to shake off the effects of the debilitating cloud.


Move:
Shift to L13

Standard:
Heal check to cancel Shroud of Gloom: [roll0]

Rayth next intends to maneuver into the space occupied by the guard in I14 if possible (or H14 if no goblins fill that gap), and communicates as much to that guard. (I.e., if possible they should Delay in the proper order so that the guard can shift away immediately before Rayth's turn, before goblins can close the gap.)

Also, since the DM didn't mention it I'm assuming Rayth had no need of using Heroic Effort on his last turn.

And one final thing: I'm not clear on whether the gray stone squares in row H are walls (blocking terrain) or merely pavement.

[Amnestic]

Heyen grimaces at the dragon's rather uncomfortable layer of ick that she was now covered with; mentally making a note to make sure her lodgings had decent washing facilities. Still, she does what she can to remove what she could and lessen the effect at the moment. Once done, she steels herself and unleashes an attack upon the dragon in the hopes of penetrating its scaley hide.


Standard Action:
Heal Check to remove the Shroud of Gloom effect.
[roll0]

Spend her 1 (one) action point.

Standard Action:
Viper's Strike (At Will)
Attack Roll: [roll1] vs. AC. +7 as normal and an extra +2 from flanking. Only +7 if I messed up my healing check.*
Damage Roll: [roll2]

In addition, if the dragon should shift (somehow) for whatever reason before the start of my next turn, it provokes an attack of opportunity from Carric. This occurs even if I don't hit its weakpoint for massive damage.

Heyen Nephet-
HP: 24/24 (Surges Left: 8)
Action Points: 0 (zero)
AC: 18
Fort: 16
Refl: 16
Will: 13


*If it's ruled that my Tactical Presence's bonus to attack rolls after spending an action point does affect me as well, then it's +10 to attack, or +8 if I fail the heal check.

[Mando Knight]

Also, since the DM didn't mention it I'm assuming Rayth had no need of using Heroic Effort on his last turn.

And one final thing: I'm not clear on whether the gray stone squares in row H are walls (blocking terrain) or merely pavement.

You hit without Effort, so it's still available. The stone is indeed wall, it's the gatehouse structure. The path is the cracked-mud texture, and the goblins (who are indeed minions, by the way) completely filled the gatehouse up until Bealan smashed up three of the frontliners.

Also, since two of you missed, you take Opportunity slaps from the Dragon, who only takes a total of 10 damage (3 from one Twin Strike hit, 7 from Wil's Divine Challenge) from this round before your allies and Wil act.
Carric:
[roll0]
Hit: [roll1] damage, knocked prone, and Wil takes 5 damage.

Rayth:
[roll2]
Hit: [roll3] damage, and knocked prone, and Wil and the two guards next to you take 5 damage. Didn't attack. Oops. :smallredface:

Heyen:
[roll4]
Hit: [roll5] damage, and knocked prone, and the three guards next to you take 5 damage.

[tarsusc81]

Also, since the three of you missed, you take Opportunity slaps from the Dragon, who only takes a total of 10 damage (3 from one Twin Strike hit, 7 from Wil's Divine Challenge) from this round before your allies and Wil act.

Rayth:
[roll2]
Hit: [roll3] damage, and knocked prone, and Wil and the two guards next to you take 5 damage.

I'm confused. I didn't attack the dragon this round.

[Mando Knight]

I'm confused. I didn't attack the dragon this round.

Ah, so you didn't. Good for you and the guys next to you. I'll just use that attack roll for the next guy who misses, then. (When I get around to making the next round post. There's literally dozens of NPCs in this battle, so it's a daunting task to update the fight.)

[Mando Knight]

Wil takes a moment to clear the cloud out of his eyes, and shouts out "Careful!" as the dragon's tail slams into the ground and knocks Carric and one of the guards off their feet (the guard then stands up), slicing at Wil's legs while it whips across. The dragon's claws strike uselessly at Heyen and Wil, but as it flaps its wings backward, it lashes out with a devastating chomp on Wil's left shoulder. The paladin gives out an understandably loud and painful shout.

The goblins, though individually ineffective, continue to swarm out from the gatehouse, and one manages to land a cut on the now-prone Carric.

Wil: [roll0]
Action Point: Second Wind.

[roll1]
[roll2]

I14 has delayed so that he can shift back. Everyone else is defending, not wanting to open themselves up to the devastating tail sweep.

[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]

[roll7]
[roll8] + 5 ongoing Acid, miss: 5 Acid

[roll9]+2
[roll10]+2
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]
Hit: 4 damage each, or 5 with Combat Advantage (i.e. Prone)

Warning: Wil starts the next round with 2 HP left and 5 ongoing Acid. Since he's fairly slow, Heyen can act before he does...

Dragon's damage: 79

Carric can make a Melee Basic Attack against the dragon as an attack of opportunity (the dragon can't make OAs and Immediate actions on its own turn, thankfully) thanks to its shift, but you take a -4 due to the cloud and being prone.

Map
http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq128/Mando_Knight/Gate4.png

[Bridgar]

Baelan Strongheart HP: 28/28 Surges:10/10
AC:17 Fort:13 Ref:12 Will:15
+1 to all defenses vs. dragon

Baelan slams his staff into the ground and lets go. It stays standing and as he begins to chant an invocation. The staff sprouts a crystal sphere out of the tip. He lifts the ball off of the staff and lobs it at the goblin hordes. It explodes into shards, the shards lodging themselves into the goblins and black dragon.

Standard Action: Grasping Shards in G12
Attack Vs Fort of gob in F11:[roll0]
Attack Vs Fort of gob in F12:[roll1]
Attack Vs Fort of gob in F13:[roll2]
Attack Vs Fort of gob in G11:[roll3]
Attack Vs Fort of gob in G12:[roll4]
Attack Vs Fort of gob in G13:[roll5]
Attack Vs Fort of gob in H11:[roll6]
Attack Vs Fort of gob in H12:[roll7]
Attack Vs Fort of gob in H13:[roll8]
Attack Vs Fort of dragon:[roll9]

4 radiant damage and slowed until end of my next turn

[tarsusc81]

Rayth Marwood - 24/24 HP, 7 surges remaining, AC 16, FORT 13, REF 14, WILL 16

"There's not much I can do to help Wil," Rayth mutters to himself through gritted teeth. "I'll have to do what I can to end this." He maneuvers forward, wand outstretched, to make a desperate strike against the enemy. He shouts for one of the closest guards to make way and, positioning himself next to the dragon and the closest goblin, he releases a thick, magical mist . . .


I honestly don't know what I can do to help Wil, so . . .

Move:
After the guard shifts back, move to I14 by a route that avoids opportunity attacks.

Standard:
Mists of Madness (Burst 1)
Attack vs Dragon: [roll0] vs Will (includes -2 to attack, but +2 for flanking)
Attack vs Goblin in H14: [roll1] vs Will
Damage: [roll2] psychic damage

Effect:
If the dragon and/or the goblin are hit, they also make a melee basic attack against each other immediately.
If both are missed, the power is not expended.

If the goblin dies (from the power's damage or the dragon's attack), Rayth uses Soul Step to teleport back to K15

Missing the dragon shouldn't qualify for its opportunity attack, because Mists of Madness isn't a melee power.

** Wow. Really? And that was a daily. Since I didn't miss the goblin, it was expended as normal. And to cap it off, I don't think the goblin even gets a chance to make an attack against the dragon, since the power's damage finished it off. I don't even think Heroic Effort will make that attack roll on the dragon hit, so I won't use it . . .

[Amnestic]

Having successfully evaded the dragon's retaliatory strike, Heyen rolls to the left. "Come on Wil, we can do this. We break the dragon, we break the assault!" She's almost radiating morale at this point, and Wil evidently feels it. Following that, she focuses her mind and with a mighty yell of "ATTACK!" to bolster her comrades, brings down her sword against the dragon's black scales once more.


Move Action:
Shift 5' one square to the left, J13.

Minor Action:
Inspiring Word on Wil. He can spend another Healing Surge and gets another 1d6 health on top of that.
[roll0]
Dice gods don't fail me now...

Standard Action:
Lead the Attack (Daily)
Attrack Roll: [roll1]
Hit: [roll2]. All allies within 5 squares get +3 to attack rolls until the end of my next turn.
Miss: Half damage. All allies within 5 squares get +1 to attack rolls until the end of my next turn.

Will blow Heroic Effort on this attack if necessary as well.


Heyen Nephet-
HP: 24/24 (Surges Left: 8)
Action Points: 0 (zero)
AC: 18
Fort: 16
Refl: 16
Will: 13

Edit: A ONE!? Screw you Dice Gods! Let's see if I roll any in your honour for the next few days, ya stingy buggers.

Edit2: Whoops. Lead the Attack is vs. AC. Forgot to write that in, and don't want to edit near the actual rolls for fear of breaking them. :smallredface:

[Lemonus]

Carric Thunderleaf HP 19 AC 14 FORT 14 REF 13 WILL 12 Surges left 8

Carric searches deep inside himself and finds a hidden reserve of strength. +7 HP (I.e. I'm spending my second wind)
Minor action: Designate the Dragon as my hunter's quarry. (Why didn't I do this before?!)
Move Action: Stand up

[Mando Knight]

The dragon lashes out against Heyen, and then is suddenly blasted off-focus by a ray of light from the well-wounded Wil. As the monster tries to shake off the dizzying blast, three soldiers leap in to fill in the gaps and take advantage of the presented opportunity.

Tail sweep on Heyen
[roll0]
Hit: [roll1], Heyen is knocked prone, and Rayth and a couple of NPC allies take 5 damage each.

Wil:
Radiant Delirium on the Dragon
[roll2]
Hit: [roll3], the dragon is dazed until the end of Wil's next turn, and it takes a -2 penalty to AC (save ends)
Miss: Half damage and daze until the end of Wil's next turn.

[roll4]
Allies:
Three attacks against the dragon. +3 due to CA and Lead the Attack.
[roll5]
[roll6]

[roll7]
[roll8]

[roll9]
[roll10]
Dragon:
Claw, on two soldiers
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]
[roll14]

[roll15]
Daze is broken due to Action Recovery

Bite on one soldier
[roll16]
[roll17], ongoing 5 Acid (+5 vuln)
Miss: 4 Acid (+5 vuln)

Goblins:
All attacks vs AC
[roll18]
[roll19]
[roll20]
[roll21]

[Mando Knight]

SO MUCH BLOOD! (http://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/8/85/Heavy_cheers03_SO_MUCH_BLOOD!_Heh.wav)

As the blades slash at the dragon, its scales begin to chip off. In his last valiant attack (the dragon then crushes his chest with those mighty, acid-dripping jaws), a soldier slices through to the beast's actual flesh... and his sword starts to melt.

Enraged by the wounds, the dragon belches out a massive wave of acid, engulfing a large number of the soldiers in the caustic flood.
Bloodied Breath! Attacks vs Reflex
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]
Hit: [roll10] 14 (+5 vuln), ongoing 5 Acid.
Miss: Half damage
The soldiers caught in the blast--even the few who were able to bring their shields up in time--were hammered by the acidic death. Those who took the full blast... look like their very lives are about to dissolve.

Dragon: 134 damage (Bloodied)
Wil: 5 HP (Bloodied)

Carric takes 4 damage.

Map:
http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq128/Mando_Knight/Gate5.png

[Bridgar]

Baelan Strongheart HP: 28/28 Surges:10/10
AC:17 Fort:13 Ref:12 Will:15
"Blast! This thing's tough." Baelan remarks as he continues to hurl balls of crystallized energy into the crowd of goblins.


Grasping Shards centered in G12.
Wis vs Will of goblin in F11:[roll0]
Wis vs Will of goblin in G11:[roll1]
Wis vs Will of goblin in H11:[roll2]
Wis vs Will of goblin in G13:[roll3]
Wis vs Will of goblin in H13:[roll4]
Wis vs Will of Dragon:[roll5]

If hit, 4 radiant damage and slowed until end of my next turn.

[tarsusc81]

Rayth Marwood - 19/24 HP, 7 surges remaining, AC 16, FORT 13, REF 14, WILL 16

"So it's finally starting to weaken," Rayth breathes wearily. He continues to press the attack, slashing again with his rapier.


Standard: Icy Skewer
Attack vs Dragon: [roll0] vs AC (-2 from Shroud of Gloom, +2 from flank)
Damage: [roll1] cold
Hit: Rayth gains +2 power bonus to all defenses vs the dragon until end of his next turn.

I forgot my +3 to attack vs the dragon if Heyen's last attack hit, or +1 if it missed. In general, it would be helpful to know which individual attacks hit or missed. On this turn for example, I'll need to know if I get my +2 bonus to defenses.

[Amnestic]

With a masterful dodge, she evades the dragon's tail, it barely skirting past her head. "It's almost down, just a little more!" She yells, once again attempting to encourage Wil to fight. As she does so, she once again slashes with her sword, hoping to finish off the dragon.


Minor Action:
Inspiring Word on Wil: One Healing Surge+[roll0]
Come ooooon dice gods!

Standard Action:
Viper's Strike
Attack: [roll1] vs. AC.
Damage: [roll2].

Should the Dragon shift, it provokes an AoO from Carric.


Heyen Nephet-
HP: 24/24 (Surges Left: 8)
Action Points: 0 (zero)
AC: 18
Fort: 16
Refl: 16
Will: 13

[Lemonus]

Carric Thunderleaf HP 15 AC 14 FORT 14 REF 13 WILL 12 Surges left 7
"How are we going to kill this thing?!" Shouts Carric as he tries to get rid of the shroud of gloom.

Heal Check: [roll0]

[Mando Knight]

Wil rushes back into the front line. Encouraged by Heyen's words, he makes a precise, though shallow, cut, following up on Rayth's and Heyen's deeper strikes and Bealan's radiant blast, and challenging the dragon to face him alone.

The dragon, not having much choice in the matter, bleeds out everywhere as the human soldiers take more defensive measures. The vile blood kills several goblins beneath the dragon, and splatters onto those surrounding it. Severely wounded, the black beast lashes out wildly, ignoring the paladin's mark to strike ineffectively at his allies. Several goblins rush forward, but are cautious of getting anywhere near the bloody, acid-dripping mess that is the dragon.

Minor: Lay on Hands on Carric.

Valorous Smite
[roll0]
[roll1]

Claw
[roll2]
[roll3]

[roll4]
[roll5]

Bite
[roll6]
[roll7], 5 ongoing Acid (save ends)
Miss: 4 Acid
Dragon: 171 damage (Very Much Bloodied)
Wil: 10 HP (bloodied)

Rayth: 10 Acid Damage (5 + Vulnerability)
Heyen: 9 Acid Damage
Carric: Heal as if you spent a Healing Surge (don't subtract a surge), take 5 Acid damage

Map
http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq128/Mando_Knight/Gate5-1.png

[Bridgar]

Baelan Strongheart HP: 28/28 Surges:10/10
AC:17 Fort:13 Ref:12 Will:15

In his gruff voice, Baelan shouts "Now let's finish 'im off!"


Grasping Shards centered in G13.

Wis vs Will of goblin in F12:[roll0]
Wis vs Will of goblin in F13:[roll1]
Wis vs Will of goblin in F14:[roll2]
Wis vs Will of Dragon:[roll3]

If hit, 4 radiant damage and slowed until end of my next turn.

[Lemonus]

Carric Thunderleaf HP 17 AC 14 FORT 14 REF 13 WILL 12 Surges left 7

Carric slashes at the dragon twice


Twin Strike

Attack One: [roll0]
Damage One: [roll1]

Attack Two: [roll2]
Damage Two: [roll3]

[tarsusc81]

Rayth Marwood

Rayth evades the deadly, swiping claws, but lets out a growling cry of pain through gritted teeth as the acidic blood splatters him. As the nearest goblin expires, Rayth gives a flick of his wand and teleports several feet away in a purple flash. Safe for the moment from the dragon's assault, he catches his breath and readies for another attack.


Okay, the above description is based on my best understanding of what happened with the acid blood, which goes like this:

If I understand right that the adjacent goblin died at the same time that Rayth was damaged:

Triggered: Soul Step
Teleport to I17.

Standard: Second Wind
+6 HP, and +2 to defenses till next turn

15/24 HP, 6 surges remaining, AC 16, FORT 13, REF 14, WILL 16, 0 Action Points, Second Wind used



If somehow the goblin died before Rayth was damaged:

Triggered: The same teleport to I17, avoiding the damage.

Standard: Charge back to I14 with Icy Skewer (can be used as melee basic)
Attack vs Dragon: [roll0] vs AC (-2 penalty, +2 flanking, +1 charge)
Damage: [roll1] cold, and +2 to defenses against dragon till next turn

19/24 HP, 7 surges remaining, AC 16, FORT 13, REF 14, WILL 16, 0 Action Points

Confirm for me if my understanding was right.

Is the acidic blood any kind of ongoing damaging aura, so that it's still dangerous to be next to the dragon?

[Mando Knight]

If I understand right that the adjacent goblin died at the same time that Rayth was damaged:
This is the correct understanding.

Is the acidic blood any kind of ongoing damaging aura, so that it's still dangerous to be next to the dragon?
Something of the sort. The text says "whenever the dragon takes damage while it is bloodied," but since that's a bit brutal for 1st level characters, I'm treating it as an aura that triggers at the beginning of the dragon's turn, so a melee-heavy party like this one doesn't go *splat* because they happened to almost win against a higher-level Solo. I mean, with five characters successfully attacking, that would be 25 damage to each of the melee guys if its Shroud of Gloom has been dissipated and without the dragon actually doing anything.

The level 18 version of the monster's nearly-identical effect (5 more damage per hit) is only "reasonable" in my opinion because by that point you're supposed to be able to take a good deal of damage in one round and stay up. And you can use Potions of Regeneration and Resistance to counter part of the effect.

[Amnestic]

Heyen dodges the dragon's attack once more, before stepping back and taking a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm despite everything.


Move Action:
5' step to K12.

Standard Action:
SECOND WIIIIIND. +6 HP, +2 to all defenses until next turn.

Heyen Nephet-
HP: 21/24 (Surges Left: 7)
Action Points: 0 (zero)
AC: 18 (20)
Fort: 16 (18)
Refl: 16 (18)
Will: 13 (15)

[Mando Knight]

The group only manages to slightly further the dragon's injury. In its fit of rage, the monster swings its tail about one more time while it inhales sharply. Since the party harmed it so much, it's not likely many of you will escape the blast unscathed, and Wil's been giving all he's got to keep the beast focused on him...

The next instant, the dragon leans forward to spew its acidic miasma. The caustic, hot green liquid sprays out of its mouth...

...And as you all reflexively flinch at the incoming pain, you notice that it's hitting a transparent... golden shield-thing. A magic wall, of sorts. Before you can turn to look around for the source, a blur of steel weaves through the fray, and an iron gauntlet grabs the dragon by the neck and yanks it to the ground. The goblins on the front lines immediately flee. You take a moment to figure out what happened, and you see the city's commander holding the winged lizard in a sort of submission hold. His intent is clear: it's nearly dead, so it either has to give up now or allow your blades to easily plunge into its hide. After a few seconds of struggling, the dragon realizes it's at your mercy.

Those of you who look around instead of deciding the creature's fate notice that there's a staff-wielding Eladrin a short way behind Bealan. He seems to be busy with incantations, and his eyes glitter with the same shade of gold as the force-wall that had appeared a moment before.

[tarsusc81]

Rayth's surprise at the sudden turn of events lasts only a moment. Not one to waste the unexpected advantage, he immediately strikes at the now helpless beast.


I'm playing it by ear here, since I don't know where everyone's positioned or, indeed, if we're meant to take standard turns yet. Assuming we are:

Icy Skewer
Attack: [roll0] vs AC (Includes the -2. If I'm still flanking, add another 2. If by any chance I can charge, Icy Skewer counts as basic melee, so another +1.)
Damage: [roll1] cold.

[Lemonus]

Carric, clearly furious at the dragon, sinks both of his swords into it's flesh.

Twin Strike:
Attack Roll One:
[roll0]

Attack Roll Two
[roll1]

Damage Roll One:
[roll2]

Damage Roll Two:
[roll3]